The Great Emu War: When Australia lost a battle against birds

The enemy was the emu, a large, flightless bird native to Australia, known for its strong legs and disregard for fences. Western Australian farmers were struggling as these resilient birds destroyed their crops, already suffering from the Great Depression. Desperate for a solution, the Australian government decided to step in, leading to the strange event known as the Great Emu War.

Emus, towering birds native to Australia, had become a significant nuisance in 1932. Western Australian farmers were desperate as these resilient creatures wreaked havoc on their crops, already strained by the Great Depression.

Cause

After World War I, Australian soldiers were given land to farm, but they soon found themselves battling a new adversary. Driven by drought, massive flocks of emus, numbering in the tens of thousands, descended upon the wheat fields of Western Australia. These large, flightless birds were no match for fences, and their powerful legs left a path of destruction in their wake. Crops were devoured whole, leaving farmers with nothing but trampled fields and dashed hopes for a bountiful harvest.

Government response

With their livelihoods under siege, farmers pleaded for help. The cries for assistance reached the government in Canberra, and a surprising solution emerged. In a move that would later be met with amusement and disbelief, the government decided to deploy the military. Soldiers, armed with Lewis guns (a unique and innovative weapon for its time)—rapid-fire machine guns—were sent to the emu battlegrounds, tasked with driving back the feathered invaders.

The conflict underscored the complex relationship between agriculture and wildlife in Australia, prompting further efforts to find sustainable solutions to such issues.

The Conflict

Initial Attempt: The first encounter between the soldiers and the emus took place in November 1932. However, the emus quickly proved to be a formidable adversary. The birds scattered into small groups, making it difficult for the soldiers to target them effectively. Despite their best efforts, the soldiers struggled to make a significant impact.

Tactics and equipment: Armed with Lewis machine guns, the soldiers expected an easy victory. However, the emus’ speed and agility made them elusive targets. The birds could run at speeds of up to 50 km/h, and their erratic movements rendered the machine guns largely ineffective. These feathered fiends also possessed an unexpected agility, weaving through fields and dodging bullets with surprising ease. Their long legs and excellent eyesight made them difficult targets for the slow-moving Lewis guns.

Outcome: The emus outsmarted the soldiers at every turn. The initial attempts to curb their population failed miserably, with more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition expended for minimal success. The soldiers’ efforts resulted in only a handful of emu casualties, leading to several failed attempts and, ultimately, the withdrawal of the military.

Initial attempts at thinning the emu population seemed promising. Soldiers reported killing dozens of birds in the first skirmishes. However, the emus quickly adapted. They learned to scatter at the sound of gunfire, making them nearly impossible to hit in open terrain. These frustrating setbacks, coupled with the emus’ surprising resilience (they could often survive bullet wounds), revealed the limitations of a military solution.

The emus had won the Great Emu War.

Aftermath

The aftermath of the Great Emu War left the farmers still grappling with the emu problem. With the military withdrawn and no effective solution in place, the emus continued to ravage the crops. The farmers faced ongoing destruction of their fields, leading to financial hardships and further frustration.

Mounting costs & media frenzy – The “war” quickly turned into a logistical nightmare. Soldiers, used to facing human enemies, struggled to adapt to the emus’ tactics. Ammunition expenditure skyrocketed, with reports of thousands of rounds fired for minimal results. News of the bizarre conflict spread like wildfire, with the media gleefully coining the now-famous term “Emu War.” The public devoured the stories, filled with a mix of amusement and disbelief at the sight of soldiers battling oversized birds.

After a brief and rather embarrassing campaign, the military was forced to withdraw in 1932. The “Emu War” ended in a stalemate, highlighting the limitations of brute force against nature’s cunning creatures.

Humorously edited photograph of Civil War general Christopher C. Augar to parody the Great Emu War
| Photo Credit:
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Legacy of Humor – The Emu War may have been a military defeat, but it became a source of national amusement for Australia. Cartoons poked fun at the soldiers, and the emus were forever immortalised as tenacious and resourceful creatures. Despite the humour, the conflict served as a stark reminder of the challenges of wildlife control. It highlighted the need for more sustainable solutions and a deeper understanding of the delicate balance between humans and nature.